GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Myriocladus exsertus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 200–400 cm long. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base truncate, or broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades oblong; 10–11.5 cm long; 20 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous; ciliate; hairy at base. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 8–15; borne along a central axis; ascending; unilateral; 4–16 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 17–33 cm long; glabrous. Rhachis glabrous on surface.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; 4 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 2–3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.5–3.5 mm long. Lower glume surface hispid. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 4 mm long; membranous; without keels. Upper glume surface hispidulous. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; persisting on inflorescence. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 5 mm long; membranous; with conspicuous midvein; ciliolate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma midvein thickened. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex acute. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back. Palea apex pubescent.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Swallen 1996.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.